Emerging Black Artists Making Their Mark In Music

Music has always been a common foundation with people and a source of happiness when we need it, inspiring us, getting us to communicate, and boosting our moods. Each unique song or artist has a powerful story to tell through music, and the creativity that flows develops multitudes of fans across the world.

This year, Black musicians within the industry have never been more abundant. Collaborations and cultural exchanges are happening widely across music and musicians, and the impact it has on us is massive. The origins of music have always been linked closely to blank history and artists.

Here are some of the talented emerging Black artists making their mark within the music industry this year. We anticipate that there is more to come and cannot wait to see what these artists have in store for the future.

Mustafa

Having recently launched his music career just a year ago, Mustafa has already received international attention. A Candian-bred singer/songwriter and poet, he built a name for himself previously as “Mustafa the Poet.” He also co-founded the rap group Halal Gang, writing about the poverty in Africa and Regent Park areas. Now, he finds himself writing and collaborating with famed artists like The Weeknd and Camila Cabello.

Mustafa had a difficult upbringing in Toronto, Ontario, having born witness to street gangs and gun violence. He released his debut single Stay Alive in March 2020, dedicating the song to those he has lost to gun violence. It blew fans away with lyrics about community and the dim reality of living in the area he grew up and showing resilience. It is no surprise that Complex networks quickly added Mustafa to their list of “Best New Artists of March 2020.”

Siena Liggins

Siena Liggins got her musical start back in the land of MySpace with a track called Poppin’, finding popularity within the pop music scene. Her uncle allowed her to make the track in his Detroit-based home studio and was subsequently surprised by her talents. She became one of Billboard’s Top Ten new LGBTQ artists of the year in 2018, and in the future, the artist has expressed taking part in a pride fest tour to share her music in the streets.

She has also written for artists at Assemble Sound, a development hub found in Detroit specifically for independent musicians. She initially found that she wanted to write for other artists because she hated the sound of her own voice. Eventually, she had to get used to her sound, and it’s a great thing because it is difficult to imagine anyone but Liggins singing her music.

She has found success in licensing through Marmoset Music as one of their featured artists with her hit songs Flowerbomb and NAKED, showing just how sexy and fun her music is. She enjoys songwriting, using it as a way to express herself and stating that her lyrics are “just me.” She likes to think of the people she’s performing the songs to and has a hands-on approach when creating the music videos.

Honey Dijon

Honey Dijon is an up-and-coming DJ who also is a producer and electronic musician. She has been most noted for merging both music and fashion to express herself as an advocate for being joyful with life. Her work collaborated with Louis Vuitton and Dior for several years, creating soundtracks for their runway shows.

She has made her mark by constantly celebrating through music and attributes her influences to greats like Quincy Jones, Danny Tenaglia, and Steely Dan. She was born on the South Side of Chicago in a very musical family, and she uses those roots for her inspiration. She has stated she listened to her parents’ R&B records, as well as the Black underground dance community that “birthed house music.”

Dijon is a proud advocate for trans rights and awareness, speaking from her experience as a Black trans woman DJ in dance music. She has successfully remixed Lady Gaga’s Free Woman, wanting to share the Black culture’s contributions through Black trans women, gays, and non-binaries. She will soon be coming out with a second album entitled Black Girl Magic sometime later this year.

Brittany Howard

This lead singer of the rock band Alabama Shakes has broken out into a solo career, taking a hiatus from the bar to release her solo album Jaime in 2019. She had previously received recognition with the band, including nine Grammy nominations that included Album of the Year and Best New Artist. Still, she left the group in 2017 so that she could find herself in music.

She is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter and brings us a fresh look into the world of rock music. Her influences include Prince, Curtis Mayfield, David Bowie, and Tina Turner, among others. The album Jaime received critical acclaim, with Pitchfork stating that the album is “a thrilling opus that pushes the boundaries of voice, sound, and soul to new extremes.”

These Black artists have worked through struggles and personal hardships, allowing them to push all of their frustrations into their music. Their music speaks for itself. It sucks us into their world of trial, tribulations, and power to overcome, finding themselves inspiring fans across the globe.